Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh, Grismer, L. Lee, Wood, Perry L., Mohamed, Maketab, Chan, Kin Onn, Heinz, Heather M., S-I, Alex, Chan, Jacob A. & Loredo, Ariel I., 2013

Grismer, L. Lee, Wood, Perry L., Mohamed, Maketab, Chan, Kin Onn, Heinz, Heather M., S-I, Alex, Chan, Jacob A. & Loredo, Ariel I., 2013, A new species of karst-adapted Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from a threatened karst region in Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia, Zootaxa 3746 (3), pp. 463-472 : 465-469

Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov.

Merapoh Rock Gecko

Cicak Batu Merapoh

Figure 1

Holotype. Adult male (LSUHC 11016) collected on 23 June 2013 by L. Lee Grismer at 2200 hrs at 23 m from Gua Gunting, Merapoh, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia (4° 42.069 N 101° 58.512 E; at 257 m elevation).

Paratype. Adult female (LSUHC 11015) bears the same data as the holotype except it was collected at 1500 hrs.

Diagnosis. Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov. differs from all other Southeast Asian species of Cnemaspis in having the unique combination of adult males reaching at least 37.6 mm SVL, adult females reaching 43.4 mm SVL; 10 supralabials; nine or 10 infralabials; keeled ventrals; at least one, round precloacal pore in males; moderately prominent dorsal tubercles; 30 paravertebral tubercles; dorsal body tubercles semi-randomly arranged; tuberculation weak on flanks; caudal tubercles not encircling tail; lateral caudal tubercles not within lateral caudal furrows; ventrolateral caudal tubercles absent; subcaudals keeled; no enlarged, median subcaudal scale row; three postcloacal tubercles; no enlarged femoral, subtibial, or submetatarsal scales; subtibials keeled; 31–33 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; no ocelli in shoulder region; no distinct, yellow bars on flanks; and no yellow, postscapular band. These differences are summarized across all Southeast Asian species in Wood et al. (2013:Table 2).

Description of holotype. Adult male; SVL 37.6 mm; head oblong in dorsal profile, moderate in size (HL/SVL 0.27), somewhat narrow (HW/SVL 0.17), flattened (HD/HL 0.41), distinct from neck; snout short (ES/HL 0.47), slightly concave in lateral profile; postnasal region constricted medially, flat; scales of rostrum weakly keeled, raised, slightly larger than more rounded scales on occiput; low, supraorbital ridges; moderate frontorostral sulcus; canthus rostralis weak; eye large (ED/HL 0.23); extra-brillar fringe scales largest anteriorly; pupil round; ear opening oval, taller than wide; rostral concave, dorsal 80% divided by longitudinal groove; rostral bordered posteriorly by supranasals and one small, azygous scale and laterally by first supralabials; 10R,L raised supralabials of similar size; nine or 10 infralabials, decreasing in size posteriorly; nostrils elliptical, oriented posterolaterally, bordered posteriorly by small, granular, postnasal scales; mental large, triangular, bordered posteriorly by four large postmentals, outer two largest; gular scales raised, keeled; throat scales larger, raised, keeled.

Body slender, elongate; small, keeled, dorsal scales equal in size throughout body, intermixed with larger, multicarinate tubercles more or less randomly arranged; tubercles extend from occiput to base of tail; tubercles on lower flanks sparse, moderate in size; 30 paravertebral tubercles; pectoral and abdominal scales raised, keeled, not elongate, same size throughout; abdominal scales slightly larger than dorsals; one precloacal pore; forelimbs moderately long, slender; dorsal scales of brachium raised, weakly keeled; dorsal scales of forearm raised, keeled; ventral scales of brachium smooth, raised, juxtaposed; ventral scales of forearm weakly, raised, juxtaposed; palmar scales smooth, juxtaposed, weakly raised; digits long with an inflected joint; claws recurved; subdigital lamellae unnotched; lamellae beneath first phalanges granular proximally, widened distally; lamellae beneath phalanx immediately following inflection granular, lamellae of distal phalanges wide; weak interdigital webbing at base of digits; fingers increase in length from first to fourth with fourth and fifth nearly equal in length; hind limbs slightly longer and thicker than forelimbs; dorsal scales of thigh keeled, raised, juxtaposed; scales of anterior surface of thigh keeled; ventral scales of thigh weakly keeled; subtibial scales keeled, flat, subimbricate, with no enlarged anterior row; plantar scales smooth, juxtaposed, raised; no enlarged submetatarsal scales beneath first metatarsal; digits elongate with an inflected joint; claws recurved; subdigital lamellae unnotched; lamellae beneath first phalanges granular proximally but wider distally; lamellae beneath phalanx immediately following inflection granular, lamellae of distal phalanges wide; weak interdigital webbing at base of digits; toes increase in length from first to fourth with fourth being slightly longer than fifth; 31 subdigital lamellae on fourth toe; caudal scales arranged in segmented whorls; dorsal caudal scales flat anteriorly, weakly keeled, juxtaposed; deep middorsal and lateral furrows; no enlarged, median subcaudal scales; subcaudal scales keeled; no median row of enlarged keeled subcaudal scales; caudal tubercles do not encircle tail; caudal tubercles absent from lateral furrow posteriorly; three enlarged postcloacal tubercles on lateral surface of hemipenal swellings at base of tail.

Color pattern in life ( Fig. 1 ). Dorsal ground color grey; top of head bearing small dark spots; thin, dark postorbital stripes meeting medially on occiput and turning anteriorly; rostrum and supralabial region greenish; paired, light colored, paravertebral, blotches extend from nape to base of tail where they transform into light colored caudal bands, blotches united on nape and shoulder region into a single blotch; flanks bearing dark mottling and yellowish spots; limbs darkly mottled with a faint banding pattern; overall color of venter unicolor beige with all scales bearing black stippling. There is no sexual dimorphism in color pattern and coloration lightens considerably at night.

Variation. The paratype (LSUHC 11015) approaches the holotype in coloration except there are indistinct, yellowish bars on the flanks. The specimen was badly damaged during capture and is missing skin on the posterior half of the body dorsally and ventrally. Morphometric variation and variation in scalation is presented in Table 1.

Distribution. Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov. is known only from the type locality of Gua Gunting, Merapoh, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia ( Fig. 2 ). Eggs, presumably of this species, were observed on the connected karst outcrop Gua Goyang.

LSUHC LSUHC

11016 11015

holotype paratype

Sex m f Maximun SVL 37.6 43.4 Supralabials 10 10 Infralabials 10 9 Ventral scales keeled (1) or not (0) 1 1 No. of precloacal pores 1 / Precloacal pores continuous (1) or separated (0) / / Precloacal pores elongate (1) or round (0) 0 / No. of paravertebral tubercles 30 / Tubercles linearly arranged (1) or more random (0) 0 0 Tubercles present (1) or absent (0) on lower flanks w / Caudal tubercles in lateral furrow (1) or not (0) 0 0 Ventrolateral caudal tubercles anteriorly (1) or not (0) 0 0 Lateral caudal tubercle row present (1) or absent (0) 0 0 Caudal tubercles restricted to a single paravertebral

row on each side (1) or not (0) 0 0 Subcaudals keeled (1) or not (0) 1 1 Single median row of keeled subcaudals (1) or not (0) 0 0 Caudal tubercles encircle tail (1) or not (0) 0 0 Enlarged median subcaudal scale row (1) or not (0) 0 0 No. of postcloacal tubercles 3 / Enlarged femoral scales present (1) or absent (0) 0 0 Shield-like subtial scales present (1) or absent (0) 0 0 Subtibial scales keeled (1) or not (0) 1 1 Enlarged submetatarsal scales on 1st toe (1)

or not (0) 0 0 No. of 4th toe lamellae 31 33 TL / / TW 3.8 3.5 FL 6.7 7.7 TBL 8 8.8 AG 18.1 20.5 HL 10.2 11.2 HW 6.4 7.4 HD 4.2 4.3 ED 2.3 2.4 EE 2.8 3 ES 4.8 5.4 EN 3.8 4.4 IO 2 2.8 EL 1.2 0.8 IN 0.9 1.1 Natural history. Both specimens were collected approximately 1 m above the ground from the perimeter of an extensive karst system surrounded by a limestone forest ( Fig. 3 ). The female was carrying two eggs and observed at approximately 1500 hrs while positioned face down on a shaded surface outside a deep crevice into which she attempted to retreat prior to capture. The male was captured later that night at 2200 hrs while abroad in essentially the same area. These observations suggest this species in nocturnal.

Etymology. The specific epithet selamatkanmerapoh is a combination of the Malay word selamatkan which is analogous to the English transitive verb “save” (as in to protect) and Merapoh which is the region wherein the type locality occurs. This name is in reference to the fact that karst formations of Gua Gunting and Gua Goyang have been determined to possess high quality limestone and are slated to be quarried. It also echoes the campaigning slogan “Save Merapoh Caves” that is being used by the Malaysian Nature Society and other local agencies that are fighting to conserve the karst formations in this region.

Comparisons. Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov. is a member of a monophyletic lineage referred to as the affinis group (Grismer et al. in prep.) which contains C. affinis (Stoliczka) ; C. harimau Chan, Grismer, Anuar, Quah, Muin, Savage, Grismer, Ahmad, Remegio & Greer ; C. pseudomcguriei Grismer, Ahmad, Chan, Belabut, Muin, Wood & Grismer ; C. narathiwatensis Grismer, Sumontha, Cota, Grismer, Wood, Pauwels & Kunya ; C. shahruli Grismer, Chan, Quah, Muin, Savage, Grismer, Ahmad, Greer & Remegio ; C. mcguirei Grismer, Grismer, Wood & Chan ; C. grismeri Wood, Quah, Anuar & Muin ; C. flavolineata (Nicolls) and C. bayuensis Grismer, Grismer, Wood & Chan. This group is diagnosed by having the unique combination of an adult SVL ranging from 36.5–50.8 mm; 8–13 supralabials; 7–10 infralabials; keeled ventral scales; 0–10 round precloacal pores; 18–32 paravertebral tubercles; caudal tubercles not restricted to a single paravertebral row; keeled subcaudals; no median row of enlarged subcaudals; 1–5 postcloacal tubercles; no enlarged femoral, subtibial, or submetatarsal scales; and 21–35 subdigital lamellae on the 4th toe. Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov. differs from C. affinis , C. bayuensis , C. flavolineata , C. grismeri , C. harimau , C. mcguirei , and C. narathiwatensis in having one precloacal pore as opposed to lacking precloacal pores or having 3–10. It differs from all species in the affinis group except C. pseudomcguirei in having tubercles only in the anterior section of the lateral caudal furrow as opposed to tubercles occurring throughout the furrow. Additional differences separating it from individual species are highlighted in Table 2. Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov. is most closely related to C. bayuensis , a karst dwelling species from Kampung Bayu, Kelantan 75 km to north but separated from it on the basis of caudal tuberculation and the numbers of precloacal pores as described above. These species also have a 5.3% sequence divergence from one another.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype (LSUHC 11016) of Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov. from Gua Gunting, Merapoh, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia.

FIGURE 2. Map showing the location of the type locality Gua Gunting, Merapoh, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia for Cnemaspis selamatkanmerapoh sp. nov.

FIGURE 3. Karst formation and limestone forest at Gua Goyang (right) and Gua Gunting (left), Merapoh, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia.